


men that honour titles

by lykxxn



Category: Historical RPF, The Borgias (2011)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Rodrigo Borgia's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 02:19:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7248172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lykxxn/pseuds/lykxxn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Appearances, Cesare realised, could be very much deceiving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	men that honour titles

“When you step out of that door,” said his father, many years ago, “you are Cesare Borgia, and you are strong and powerful. Strong and powerful men do not snivel, whine or cry. Understood?” Five-year-old Cesare had wiped his nose with his sleeve and nodded frantically, trying to hold back the tears in his still-watery eyes.

From that moment forth, he cried in the privacy of his room, where nobody could see him in his moment of weakness, except perhaps Juan, who would comfort him but still berate Cesare about his weakness in front of their father.

Whilst the outside saw a strong boy growing into a powerful, noble man with the cunning and intelligence to rule, in his private quarters he allowed himself to weaken.

Appearances, Cesare realised, could be very much deceiving.

The people only saw what he wanted them to see. They didn’t know that Juan still let him win when they sparred. They didn’t know that he talked with Lucrezia about minuscule things like boys and whether she should wear a red or a blue dress to the ball tomorrow. They didn’t know that he ruffled Gioffre’s hair every morning and tucked him in bed some nights.

Despite his outward appearance, Cesare still  _cared_. He was a brother first and foremost, and no matter how much his father wanted power, he did not want the same.

He felt very much like a sheep, following doggedly after his father simply because he was told to. But he didn’t protest.

“Good boys do as their father tells them,” said his father when Cesare was ten, “because he knows what’s best.”

Father always knew what was best. Or so he said.

If Cesare thought any different at that age, he wouldn’t have had the courage to argue. Part of not showing weakness was doing as he was told.

Appearances, Cesare realised, could be very much deceiving.

It took him a long time to realise that all his father wanted was power. His father didn’t care.

The very thought chilled Cesare to bone. His father didn’t  _care._ Didn’t care about him, didn’t care about Juan or Lucrezia or  Gioffre, didn’t care about his mother.

He felt sick for years afterwards. He could do nothing more than put his heart and soul into his work, even though it was work he was forced into and hardly agreed with. He showed no weakness.

The people only see what he wanted them to see.


End file.
